Information Age Education

Welcome to the Information Age

November 12th, 2006

We live in amazing times - including amazingly fast! You can click on a button and find information in milliseconds that may have required research in basement archives a decade ago. We are exposed to, and sometimes overwhelmed by, a vast array of information. What’s important? What’s not? It’s a new age we live in and it requires new skills.

Our educational system was forged during the Industrial Revolution. Now it’s time to look at the system and get it wired for the Information Age. Our kids are tech-savvy and use technology in many facets of their lives, as do we. I’m asking myself how can I engage students in the classroom by letting them explore, create and find meaning in the material. Increasing the use of technology is one answer. I’m at the beginning of my learning curve.

Now that we’re in the Information Age, people around the world can communicate and share ideas instantaneously. Technology is an important tool, but as any good educator can tell you, it’s the human connections that we make that lead to deep learning. It’s wonderful to learn about technology and share information to make our lessons interactive and dynamic. I also believe that creating opportunities for personal connections is going to be as critical in the Information Age as Internet connections.